READ: Psalm 34, Isaiah 61-63, Matthew 6, Acts 13 STAYING LITTLE John the Baptist is one of my favorite biblical characters because he stayed little all the way to the end. Luke records this rare feat for us in Acts 13:25: “As John was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am […]
Region: Arab World
Redefining Home
Matthew 8:19-20 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Today was supposed to be an average day. My plans for the morning […]
Abiding in Jesus: July 2
READ: Psalm 33, Isaiah 58-60, Matthew 5, Acts 12 INSTITUTIONAL COMPASSION God has a habit of asking us to do impossible things, things that are not natural to us, things like turning the other cheek, giving generously to the one suing us, walking an extra mile for the sake of the oppressor, giving to all […]
Abiding in Jesus: July 1
READ: Psalm 32, Isaiah 55-57, Matthew 4, Acts 11 GUILELESS There is something winsome about the person who has no guile. We are impressed by the intelligent, awed by the strong, drawn to the attractive, amused by the witty, but it is the man or woman without guile that makes us feel safe. Psalm 32:2 reminds us […]
Abiding in Jesus: June 30
READ: Psalm 31, Isaiah 52-54, Matthew 3, Acts 10 THE BAD GOOD NEWS The good news is bad to the one who enjoys sin or embraces deception, for the opening word of the gospel (Matt. 3:1-2) is “Repent!” John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Stephen, Paul, and all biblical preachers have one thing in common: They are disliked […]
Abiding in Jesus: June 29
READ: Psalm 30, Isaiah 49-51, Matthew 2, Acts 9 JOY COMES IN THE MOURNING “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning… You have turned my morning into dancing” (Psalm 30:5, 11). When the wise men saw the star stop over Jesus, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy and fell down […]
Abiding in Jesus: June 28
READ: Psalm 29, Isaiah 46-48, Matthew 1, Acts 8 END FROM THE BEGINNING Four air force helicopters just flew over our apartment, tanks are deployed around the city–another normal day in the Middle East where instability is the normal. In these last days it is futile to wait for the pristine moment to move, live, […]
Abiding in Jesus: June 27
READ: Psalm 28, Isaiah 43-45, John 21, Acts 7 CREATED FOR GLORY Deep within every human is the desire for significance. We want to live lives that matter, lives that count for something, lives that make a difference. It is a comfort to every believer to realize that God has created us for glory. It […]
Abiding in Jesus: June 26
READ: Psalm 27, Isaiah 40-42, John 20, Acts 6 EXCHANGED STRENGTH We are not supposed to come to the end of our lives with energy left over. We are purposed to be poured out as an offering. What a shame if we enter heaven with resources of any kind in storage, rather than all our being […]
Abiding in Jesus: June 25
READ: Psalm 26, Isaiah 37-39, John 19, Acts 5 THE JOYS OF EARTH Before the things of earth grow strangely dim, we who still walk this fallen planet would be wise to enjoy its joys. Unusual as it sounds, there are some privileges of earth that heaven does not afford–deliverance, praise in pain, and suffering shame […]
